The Midlands Meander: 8 stops you have to make

The Midlands Meander: 8 stops you have to make

06/06/2017

According to our To-Do list!

The Midlands Meander is a magical place. It is home to beautiful waterfalls, misty mountains, indigenous forests and my favourite part, farmland. It has hidden gems and wonderful treasures. Once you discover this part of South Africa, you will find you will want to return for more and more.

But what makes up the Midlands Meander?

The Midlands Meander is an 80km network of sightseeing routes between Pietermaritzburg and Mooi River . The routes wind through Nottingham Road, Curry’s Post, Lions River, Howick, Merrivale, Kamberg, Balgowan, Rosetta and a few other areas. Each little area offers accommodation, restaurants, arts and crafts, farms, activities and so much more. The expansive countryside offers breathtaking postcard material views.

A few weekends ago we took a road trip through the Midlands Meander. We have visited this side of the world a few times, but this time we visited with a to-do list. We wanted to stop at every coffee shop, every restaurant, every farm and explore every road. And we did. Every item on our to-do list got ticked off, slowly but surely.

SO, HERE ARE THE 8 STOPS YOU HAVE TO MAKE ACCORDING
TO OUR TO-DO LIST:

1. Chocolate Heaven

WHERE: Nottingham Road

WHAT IS IT: The name says it all. Chocolate Heaven allows you to indulge in a fine selection of hand-moulded Belgian chocolates as well as chocolate fondues.

WHAT WE LOVED: Fresh, juicy strawberries dipped in chocolate. And the sugar free chocolate (labelled: diabetic chocolate) is divine! Especially the coconut one.

2. Romesco Olives

WHAT IS IT: An olive showroom offering tastings with a huge selection go marinated, stuffed and smoked olives. The olives you love, you can buy and take home.

WHAT WE LOVED: The Greek Moussaka Kalamata olives as well as the Spicy Panzanella Olives. We loved them so much we brought home 3 bottles of each.

Address: 7 Prospect Rd, Howick

3. Howick Falls

WHERE: Howick

WHAT IS IT: A waterfall. Duh!

WHAT WE LOVED: So beautiful!

Address: Howick, KwaZulu-Natal

4. Terbodore Coffee

WHERE: Curry’s Post

WHAT IS IT: A coffee shop where they roast their own coffee using the finest imported Arabica beans.

WHAT WE LOVED: There are 3 things we absolutely loved about Terbodore Coffee. Firstly, coming from the city of Johannesburg, we only know coffee shops in shopping centres and franchise coffee shops. This coffee shop, however, is in an old barn and the setting is in the garden. It was so lovely to sit outside, enjoy fresh air and sip on delicious coffee. Secondly, we loved the dog bone shaped coffee biscuits that accompany your cup of coffee. We bought 3 packets of these to bring home! Thirdly, the dogs that run around the garden are so cute and friendly.

6. Swissland Cheese

WHERE: Balgowan

WHAT IS IT: A dairy farm, with a farm stall. But this is no ordinary farm. They offer picnic baskets and picnic blankets, and the farm stall sells delicious artisan goat cheese, snacks, wine and everything you need for the perfect picnic. The picnic also comes with a magical view.

WHAT WE LOVED: Everything! The delicious cheese, the view, the setting, the atmosphere. This is exactly what you want when you’re in the countryside.

♥

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